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What brand of bike is this? Anyone have an idea? There is no head badge. It's a skip tooth with wood wheels. I think it might be an early American track bike, but the brand has me stumped. 32 spoke hole front, 36 rear.

I thought Schwinn also, so far I'm kinda stumped. Luxlow has a Schwinn track bike from the 1930s, but the seat stays are curved, like a 1940 DX. This one has straight seat stays, but it's older than 1930s. The Luxlow track bike has the typical American one piece crank and the one above has the crank that's worked on from the bottom of the bottom bracket.

I was convincing myself it was a Schwinn...but, I just noticed a flaw. If that sweetheart is original to the bike, then it probably isn't schwinn. I believe schwinn has the drive pin hole on the triangle, that one looks to have it on the heart.

I think there is at least a couple different companies that are that way...Snyder being one, I believe.

Honestly, I don't have the eye for bikes pre- mid '30s or so. I have the same issue with cars...'60s I can nail IDs, '50s pretty good, '40s okay...'30s and older, I don't have the eye/knowledge to easily tell them apart (I can usually determine between Ford and 'other'...but that's about it ).

If the wood wheels are original, then it is probably a pre a1930 American bike, and maybe a track bike. The front wheel appears closer to the down tube than on path racers or street bikes of this era. I can't find any net pictures of a Schwinn between 1895 and 1917 and from 1917 to about 1930. There seems to be a lot of missing Schwinn documentation. Then again, there was a huge mail order and LBS availability of custom parts. Plus, as stuff wore out discards and traded parts were used. The fork is forged, but doesn't look anything like a later Schwinn or a more ornate crown like a 1930s Colson. The crown is not rounded but kind of squared off.

I saw the '17 and '33 Schwinn catalog entries. The '17 has wood rims, and appears to have a sweetheart chainring...and to my non-discriminating eyes, looks like yours. The '33 states chromium plated rims...so, nope.

I haven't stumbled across a Snyder built '20s (or early '30s), the oughts and teens Snyders have a squared shoulder fork, however.

Shelby had sweetheart chainrings with drive pins in the heart as well...but, I don't think I've seen a wood rimmed Shelby before.

I saw the '17 and '33 Schwinn catalog entries. The '17 has wood rims, and appears to have a sweetheart chainring...and to my non-discriminating eyes, looks like yours. The '33 states chromium plated rims...so, nope.

I haven't stumbled across a Snyder built '20s (or early '30s), the oughts and teens Snyders have a squared shoulder fork, however.

Shelby had sweetheart chainrings with drive pins in the heart as well...but, I don't think I've seen a wood rimmed Shelby before.

It's hard to say. There is almost no documentation of early American Track bikes even though it was the most popular spectator sport from the 1890s to around 1920. American champs got the same income as Babe Ruth at his prime. American track racing had the same amount of spectators as the NBA today. Al Capone was a fan and did a lot of betting on the races. Despite this popularity almost nothing remains. All the original tracks are torn down or burned down. Some 1890s American track bikes had big 3/4 semi circle dropouts with what looks like no chain adjustment. Most early net pictures are of European track bikes and they do have straight drop outs. Some of the early (1910s) American catalogues had racing bikes with straight drops outs. Most vintage photographs of early American track bikes don't show the dropouts as a foot is in the was or too indistinct of too far away. There is one photograph of an American racer on the net pedaling on a track around 1910 and that bike does have angled dropouts. I don't think angled dropouts were common on track bikes but so many manufactures made them and they weren't very sophisticated in the early days, tall, front tire close to the down tube (not as close as modern track bikes) and a short cockpit. This frame has the front wheel close. Other bikes of this era were very stretched out to accommodate the bad roads. It may or may not be a track frame but I think it was raced on the track. Hard to say, some kid may have made a bike out of miscellaneous parts to look like a track bike? Its got real cool wood grips.

My fork crown is different, diamond cut sorta. I'll try and post a picture later. I dismantled the bike and it's got a missing ball in the crown and I can't find my tin of bearings. The crank race on the drive side is cracked, which causes my tool to slip when I try and remove it. It even slips in my vice. I may take it to the LBS to see if they can work it off where it is warm. Or I may weld the crack shut and then try to get it off. I've never seen a cracked bearing race. The wheels look good but need re spoking. It was repainted in the distant past and that paint is almost gone. It only has surface rust, no pits. I was going to leave it raw patina but I think I'll paint it.

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